Enlightenment in the Cave

A scholar making for the capital to take the State Exam found himself in a cave, seeking shelter from the rain. Later that night, he awoke from a parched throat. Discovering a bowl of water in the dark, he quenched his thirst before falling back asleep. The next morning, the scholar was mortified to find that the vessel holding the water had been a skull all along. It dawned on him that life is largely a matter of perception. Enlightened by his newfound wisdom, he abandoned his ambitions of pursuing an official position and returned to his hometown to spread the enlightenment.